TL;DR
Get home appliances delivered free — and shop member deals
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Access to Prime Big Deal Days deals on October 6–7
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
A Family Handyman reviewer tested the Anker Solix Smart Generator 5500 for over a month in Florida, using gasoline and propane alone and paired with a Solix E10 whole-home battery system. Setup took about 20 minutes, app and electric starting worked without faults, and DC output reached roughly 4.5 kW. Noise and the cost of a full Anker ecosystem remain drawbacks, and natural-gas operation was not tested.
A hands-on review published by Family Handyman reports that the Anker Solix Smart Generator 5500, a tri-fuel portable inverter generator, proved easy to set up and reliable across more than a month of testing at a Florida home — including runs paired with Anker’s E10 whole-home battery system, where it delivered roughly 4.5 kW of direct DC charging. The reviewer, Paul Rankin, tested the unit on gasoline and propane but has not yet tested natural-gas operation, and he flags noise and the high cost of a complete Anker backup ecosystem as drawbacks.
The Solix Smart Generator 5500 is a 224cc four-stroke portable generator that runs on gasoline, propane or natural gas. According to the review, it produces up to 4,500 watts of DC output on gasoline or propane and 4,000 watts on natural gas, while conventional AC use provides up to 3,600 rated watts through one NEMA TT-30R and one NEMA 5-20R outlet. The DC output is the distinguishing feature: rather than converting to AC and back, the generator can feed up to 4,500 watts directly into a compatible Solix E10 battery system.
Rankin reports that setup took about 20 minutes, requiring little assembly beyond connecting the startup battery and adding engine oil. Starting worked via the electric start button, the Anker app and a manual pull start, and he describes both electric and app starting as working flawlessly. Over roughly a month of use alternating between gasoline and propane, he reports no starting problems, overloads, connection failures or app glitches. His longest continuous test lasted about two hours.
The reviewer’s home setup includes rooftop solar and a Solix E10 system with two power modules and three battery expansion modules, installed by licensed electricians. He says the battery equipment cost around $14,000, with professional installation adding approximately $4,500. During an outage scenario, the batteries power the house while the generator recharges them — meaning the generator was not directly supplying every appliance, but rather charging the E10 system at up to about 4.5 kW. The 110-pound unit was, in his account, surprisingly manageable to move.
Why Ecosystem Integration Drives the Case
The review’s central finding is that the generator’s strongest argument is not standalone performance but its integration with Anker’s Solix ecosystem. For homeowners who already own or are considering a Solix E10 battery system and solar, the direct DC charging path avoids conversion losses and lets the generator automatically replenish batteries at night or during extended cloudy weather when solar is insufficient.
That matters as more homeowners in storm-prone regions build layered backup systems combining solar, batteries and generators. But the review also makes clear that the full configuration is expensive: the reviewer’s complete battery-plus-installation cost of roughly $18,500 far exceeds the price of the generator itself, an important distinction for readers comparing options.
Florida Outages Prompted the Test
Rankin, who lives in Florida, writes that hurricanes and severe storms can knock out electricity for hours or days, and he wanted a system that could keep his home running without relying entirely on stored battery power or sunshine. That motivated testing the generator both on its own and as a charging source for his battery-based backup system.
The installation of the E10 system was performed by licensed electricians Arcenio Garcia of Firstline Electric & Energy and Oswin Fernandez of Future Electric Solutions, reflecting the professional work required for whole-home battery integration. The reviewer notes he plans to add a professionally installed natural-gas connection in the future.
“The biggest surprise was how easy Anker made practically everything about using a gas-powered generator.”
— Paul Rankin, Family Handyman
What Testing Has Not Covered
Several aspects remain untested or unstated. The reviewer has not tested natural-gas operation, which requires a professionally installed connection to a home gas supply. His longest continuous run was about two hours, so long-duration performance and fuel consumption over multi-day outages are not addressed. The review’s price figure covers his battery system and installation, not the generator’s own price, and specific noise measurements are not provided — noise is flagged as a caveat without decibel figures. Runtime per tank on each fuel is also not detailed.
Planned Natural-Gas Testing
Rankin says he plans to add a professionally installed natural-gas connection to his home and test the generator on that third fuel in the future. Readers considering a similar setup should note that whole-home integration requires licensed electricians and, for natural gas, a professional plumber or gas-fitter connection; generator exhaust also means outdoor operation and carbon-monoxide safety precautions are mandatory.
Key Questions
What fuels can the Anker Solix Smart Generator 5500 use?
It is a tri-fuel generator that runs on gasoline, propane or natural gas, with a physical selector to switch between them.
How much power does it produce?
According to the review, it delivers up to 4,500W DC on gasoline or propane (4,000W on natural gas) and up to 3,600 rated AC watts through its TT-30R and 5-20R outlets.
Does it require an Anker battery system?
No. The generator works standalone, but the reviewer found the direct DC charging integration with the Solix E10 system to be its strongest selling point.
How much did the reviewer’s full backup setup cost?
Roughly $14,000 for the battery equipment plus about $4,500 for professional installation, excluding the generator itself.
Was natural-gas operation tested?
No. The reviewer tested gasoline and propane only, and plans a professionally installed natural-gas connection for future testing.
Source: rss
Fall Picks
fall essentials
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
